The 25-year-old Singaporean is dressed comfortably in a casual shirt and Thai fishermen trousers, with his feet in worn-out Indian leather sandals. He’s looking relaxed, having just returned from Athens where his film, Plunge, was showcased at the prestigious 8th International Panorama for Independent Video and Filmmakers.

Plunge is a documentary about two avid skydivers, Singaporean Richard Chee and Austrian Guntmar Kerbl, and how they strived to bring skydiving to Singapore in hopes of making it a permanent operation. The 21-minute film was made over six months.

Reflecting on why he took the plunge with this project, Chew explains to art-e in an hour chat: “I related to Richard and Guntmar in this shared backdrop of our generally practical society. It’s about the struggle of the underdog and at times, it’s as though they were telling my story.”

But this story didn’t take off easily. The film was funded by some friends who “did not place money or profits above their desire to make this [film] happen”.

“The interviews and aerial footages were easy to acquire because by that time, Richard and Guntmar wanted their story to be heard,” relates the Ngee Ann Polytechnic graduate in film and video. “I just needed to work around what I can afford. I believe it’s possible to make a decent documentary with a small budget.”

Despite the shoestring budget of just $600, Chew managed to complete it and sent it to several film festivals around the world, even though he admitted he wasn’t expecting anything from it. “If just one festival would recognise Plunge, I’d continue to make independent projects,” he declares.

His breakthrough finally came when he received an invitation to participate in this year’s International Panorama for Independent Video and Filmmakers. He was even more surprised by the audience’s warm reception at the screening.

To top it off, Chew was also invited by Ms. Petra Terzi, CEO of the Cyprus International Film Festival, to screen his film at her festival. “That was the cherry on top of the icing,” Chew adds sheepishly.

This has certainly renewed his fervour to continue making films. “It is a constant struggle to weigh the importance of non-profitable, indie projects against commercial projects that bring in the dough,” Chew muses.

“Without the commercial projects,” he continues matter-of-factly, “I can’t fund my own film. Furthermore, I believe that I do learn something every time I work on something, be it commercial or indie. So the key word here is balance.”

A day in the life of Harry Chew could consist of him video editing for 16 hours straight and spending the next two days repaying a sleep debt. There could be a whole month of videography assignments, shot on alternate days, or a month spent just reading, watching movies, and working on random ideas. “Freelance work is unpredictable,” Chew remarks, shrugging. “There’re busy months and there’re quiet months.”

Chew is currently working on the sequel to Singapore’s first adult instructional video, Love and Intimacy: The Tantric Way, which was launched last year. Directed and edited by Chew, he shyly claims it’s not a video he’s proud of, although he lets on the sequel will be titled Kamasutra: The Art of Love Making.

On his choice of profession, the former Victoria Junior College student avers: “Perhaps you can say it’s a calling. I’ve always been rather nonchalant about financial stability or stability in general, so making the decision to pursue something I believe in and passionate about wasn’t hard at all. I wouldn’t call myself a filmmaker yet though, I feel I do not deserve the title yet...but soon I will.”

Cai Huining is a freelance writer.